Monday 26 October 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

UN, US offer deepest condolences for Pak-Afghan earthquake casualties

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WASHINGTON (Dunya News) – The United Nations and the US on Tuesday offered their deepest condolences over the loss of precious lives and the destruction in Pakistan and Afghanistan caused by the earthquake that severely rocked the two countries.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his sorrow over the calamity and offered his commiseration to the families of the victims who died in the earthquake. In a statement issued from New York, the UN Secretary-General expressed that different departments of the UN were on standby for the relief operations which can be started immediately on the request of the affected countries. The UN Secretary-General also wished a speedy recovery for those injured in the natural disaster.US also expressed its deepest sympathies over the tragedy with the White House Spokesperson stating that the US was prepared to offer every kind of help to both countries in these times. The Spokesperson also stated that the US government was in contact with both countries in regards to the matter.However, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan will overcome the calamity caused by the earthquake with its own resources. He thanked Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for calling him and sharing his grief, reported Dunya News.Also Read: PM says will overcome crisis on our ownTalking to media in London, PM said that he will leave for Pakistan shortly, cutting his visit short and cancelling many other engagements. He appreciated the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for their relief work. He said that NDMA is completely operational and actively helping the earthquake victims.PM said that he contacted Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) Pervez Khattak immediately after the earthquake took place. He said that the quake has brought more devastation in the mountainous region but Pakistan will overcome the calamity with its own resources.Presenting a briefing regarding the earthquake, the Federal Minister for Information Pervez Rashid also stated no foreign aid is needed for rehabilitation of affectees. Rasheed statedthat PM Nawaz has called for an emergency meeting on Tuesday. He said that federal government is in continuouscommunication with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and will provide it with all types of aid adding that helicopter surveillance of the affected areas has started while relief is being provided as well.Rashid also said that a crisis management cell has also been formed in PM House which will gather facts from the affected areas.Also Read: No foreign aid needed, says Pervaiz RasheedAt least 206 people were killed and hundreds sustained injuries when an earthquake measuring 8.1 at Richter Scale hit Pakistan on Monday. 150 deaths have also occurred in Afghanistan. Several buildings collapsed in various areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces as 135 casualties occurred in the latter.Also read: Massive earthquake rocks South Asia

Two more death row prisoners hanged

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Two death row prisoners were hanged on early Tuesday morning in the jails of Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur on early Tuesday morning while execution of two convicts was postponed, Dunya News reported.According to details, double murder convict Abdul Majeed was hanged in the District Jail Dera Ghazi Khan. Abdul Majeed was executed for killing his brother and nephew in 2002.The execution of death row convict Ibrar Hussain in the District Jail Toba Tek Singh was postponed after the rival parties reached a friendship agreement. Ibrar Hussain had killed Muhammad Akram in 1997.Also Read: Eight more death row convicts hangedAnother double murder convict was hanged in the New Central Jail Bahawalpur while the execution of death row prisoner Khadam Hussain was postponed on court’s order.According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, authorities have hanged more than 250 people after lifting a 2008 moratorium on executions in December after a deadly Taliban attack on a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed 150 people, mostly children.

Russia says hit record 94 targets in Syria in 24 hours

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian jets struck 94 targets in war-torn Syria over the past 24 hours, the highest one-day tally since the Kremlin began its month-old bombing campaign, the Russian defence ministry said Monday.In 59 sorties in the past 24 hours, Russias air force hit 94 terrorist targets in the provinces of Hama, Idlib, Latakia, Damascus, Aleppo and Deir Ezzor, the defence ministry said in a statement.Moscow says the bombing campaign that began on September 30 targets Islamic State jihadists and other terrorists, but the West claims the strikes have focused on moderate rebels fighting Russian-backed President Bashar al-Assads forces.The defence ministry said the latest strikes had destroyed a command post and a base used by terrorists in the Aleppo region, as well as three defensive positions near the village of Salma in the coastal Latakia province. The strikes also caused the destruction of an ammunition depot used by the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front in Eastern Ghouta, some 50 kilometres northeast of Damascus, the ministry said. Russian warplanes also hit an ammunition depot outside the city of Deir Ezzor and a convoy near the city of Palmyra in Homs province. The Russian air force, which struck 285 targets in the past three days, is monitoring Syrian roads leading to conflict zones in an effort to disrupt rebel supply routes, Moscow said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said last week that Russia air strikes had killed at least 446 people, more than a third of them civilians. The Kremlin on Monday insisted Russian forces had been carefully avoiding residential areas. Our military officers have said many times that terrorists often hide in residential areas, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti state news agency. In this case makes a choice not to hit residential neighbourhoods.On Monday, defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov dismissed a claim by the Syrian-American Medical Society that the Russian strikes had hit medical facilities, killing civilians and medical personnel. The true purpose of these organisations is to create unsourced information for designated media outlets to pick up, Konashenkov said in comments broadcast on state television.

Iran steps up engagement on UN rights concerns

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - In a shift, Iran is opening up to talks on its draconian use of the death penalty and other critical human rights issues, the UN rights expert said Monday.But beyond a willingness to discuss UN grievances, Iran has yet to take concrete steps to improve its rights record, Ahmed Shaheed told reporters.Shaheed is due to present his annual report to the UN General Assembly this week, the first compiled since the historic nuclear deal with world powers that has opened up a new era of relations with Tehran.The deal provides for the lifting of sanctions and brings to an end decades of isolation for Iran over its controversial nuclear program.The nuclear agreement reached this summer does present opportunities for advancing human rights, said Shaheed, a lawyer from the Maldives who has been the UNs special rapporteur on Iran since 2011.The rights expert said he was marginally more optimistic in this years report, compared to 2014.The real reason for that is that I am witnessing a greater desire on behalf of Iran to engage with me and the UN, he said.In a first, Shaheed last month sat down with members of Irans judiciary and security forces to discuss the crackdown on drugs that has in part fueled the high number of executions.More than 800 people have been executed so far this year, and Iran is on track to reach 1,000 by the end of the year, its highest total in years.There is no indication, however, that Iran would be willing to change course and invite Shaheed to visit. No such invitation has been extended since his appointment four years ago.They are cooperating with me in a more meaningful way than before, said the rights expert. But a country visit is still not on the cards.Other than meetings with a broader range of Iranian officials, Tehran is responding to requests for more information from the special rapporteur about specific cases.Shaheeds voluminous report on the rights situation this year is for the first time matched by an equally voluminous response by Iran, a sign that Tehran takes the UN assessment seriously.Other than concerns on executions, the report criticizes the jailing of journalists and plans for new legislation that will set back womens rights, by requiring, for instance, that they get approval from their husbands to work.Shaheed said the economic boost from the lifting of sanctions under the nuclear deal holds promise for improvement in the future by providing more opportunity to Iranians.But this will require continued pressure on the country to do better, he said.

Five Britons dead in Canada whale-watching capsize

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VANCOUVER (AFP) - Five Britons have died and a sixth person was missing feared dead after a whale-watching boat carrying 27 people capsized near Vancouver Island off Canadas Pacific coast.The search and rescue operation was called off Monday after 21 survivors were plucked from the water, Lieutenant Commander Desmond James of the Coast Guards rescue center in the provincial capital Victoria, told AFP.A Royal Canadian Mounted Police dive team later took over, scouring the ocean bed and the rugged coastline nearby for any sign of the missing sixth person, who has yet to be identified.But officials admitted there was little chance the passenger would be found alive, almost 24 hours after the Leviathan II sent out a distress call to say it was sinking.We still remain hopeful, but we have to assume the worst, said RCMP Corporal Janelle Shoihet.In London Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the four men and a woman who perished in the capsize were all British citizens.My thoughts are with the family and friends of all those affected by this terrible accident, Hammond said in a statement.Two of the victims were Canadian residents while the other three were tourists, said the British Columbia coroners office. They were aged 18 to 76, it added.The Leviathan II went down some 12 kilometers (seven miles) off Tofino, a resort town on the western edge of Vancouver Island.Owned by Jamies Whaling Station and Adventure Centres, the 20-meter (65-foot) cruise vessel was reportedly out on one of its last tours of the season, which ends October 31.For reasons yet unknown, the ship capsized in waters less than 10 meters (33 feet) deep, its bow remaining visible above water. Locals told Canadian media the vessel may have hit rocks.Canadas federal Transportation Safety Board was sending investigators to the scene.Lifejackets, handbags, clothing and other personal effects could be seen floating nearby.A number of boats converged at the site to help the Coast Guard with its search effort, including several from the Ahousat aboriginal community, with one taking eight people aboard, according to an account in the Vancouver Sun newspaper.Eighteen people were hospitalized, several suffering from hypothermia, media said.The response here has been nothing short of phenomenal, the way that people are bringing out blankets and clothing and food, donating what they can and offering all of the services that they have, Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne told broadcaster CTV.Tofinos thoughts and prayers are with passengers, crew, emergency responders and their families. Thank you all for your messages of support, she wrote on Twitter.An employee who answered the phone at Jamies Whaling Station said the company was focused on the passengers and crew.Tofino is a popular surfing and whale-watching town near the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.Jamies Whaling Station, one of the areas largest tourist boat outfitters, was hit by a deadly tragedy once before in 1998.According to TSB records, two of the four people aboard a whale-watching ship, Ocean Thunder, died after a large swell wave struck the boat from the port side.

Obama traveling to Turkey, Philippines, Malaysia

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama will travel to Turkey for a G20 summit, followed by stops in the Philippines and Malaysia for meetings with world leaders next month, the White House said Monday.At the G20 summit, leaders from the worlds major economies are due to give final approval to a new plan to crack down on tax evasion by multinational corporations that costs countries at least $100 billion a year.The 15-point plan aims to tackle low tax bills for the likes of Google, Apple and McDonalds, which have managed to sharply reduce their taxes while remaining within the law, provoking public outrage in recent years.Obama will spur international efforts to ensure strong, sustainable and balanced global economic growth during the talks, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement.During the foreign travels November 14-22, Obama will also emphasize the importance of reaching an ambitious and durable global climate change agreement in Paris.The aim of the Paris conference is to ink an agreement to limit global warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (two Celsius) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.The meeting marks the culmination of six years of work since the ill-fated 2009 Copenhagen climate summit, which failed to lock down significant agreements.Obama will also stop in the Philippines for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit and in Malaysia for the US-ASEAN and East Asia summits.Meetings there underscore Americas support for Asias regional institutions, which enhance security and prosperity, while also advancing the US strategy to rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region in all of its dimensions, Earnest said.These visits also will support the presidents efforts to expand opportunities for American businesses and workers to sell their products in some of the worlds fastest-growing markets.

Saudi charity says 'impartial' in Yemen relief effort

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - A Saudi charity set up by King Salman insisted Monday that it gives aid to all in need in war-torn Yemen including in rebel-held areas being bombed by the Saudi-led coalition.The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre has pledged $274 million to a UN appeal for Yemen to address a catastrophic humanitarian crisis since the coalition bombings began in March.This center is impartial and it has nothing to do with politics. We reach those who are in need wherever they are, said Abdullah Al Rabeeah, the director of the center set up in May.The Saudi officials met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the relief effort, which has raised questions about the Saudi role as both coalition leader and aid donor.The charity has signed eight agreements with the United Nations on providing aid to Yemen. UN aid chief Stephen OBrien stressed the Saudi centers work will be in line with UN standards.It is absolutely vital that we try to access everybody who is vulnerable and in need, said OBrien.Speaking to reporters, Rabeeah said: We have been able to reach all provinces in Yemen, including those under Huthi control. And as long as there is need, we will support it in any area in Yemen.OBrien has criticized the coalitions air war over its heavy civilian toll and for blocking deliveries of fuel and other commercial supplies to Yemen by restricting access to ports.Nearly 5,000 people have been killed in the bombing campaign to push back Iran-backed Huthi rebels and restore President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who was forced to flee to Saudi Arabia.Hadi returned to Aden last month, but a UN push for peace talks has yet to yield results.OBrien said the best response to the humanitarian crisis affecting 80 percent of the population would be to stop the fighting.Rabeeah said a ceasefire would be welcome, but that all parties must abide by the truce.

NASA spacecraft to fly through icy spray of Saturn moon

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MIAMI (AFP) - An unmanned NASA spacecraft is about to make its deepest dive ever into the icy spray emanating from the underwater ocean on Saturns moon, Enceladus.The tiny moon orbiting the sixth planet from the sun stunned scientists when they discovered it had an icy plume in 2005.After years of observations, NASA announced earlier this year that Enceladus definitely has a subterranean ocean, widening the search for alien life in our solar system.While the Cassini probes flyby on Wednesday will not be able to detect if there are life forms in the spray, scientists hope the close pass will give them new insight into the habitability of the extraterrestrial ocean.This daring flyby will bring the spacecraft within 30 miles (48 kilometers) of the surface of Enceladuss south polar region, NASA said in a statement. The encounter will allow Cassini to obtain the most accurate measurements yet of the plumes composition, and new insights into the ocean world beneath the ice.The flyby should take place at 1522 GMT on Wednesday, though the scientific data it collects may not be published for months.Scientists hope that the trip will tell them how much icy material is emanating from Enceladus, and perhaps what kinds of complex organic molecules it contains, though not with enough detail to determine if anything is alive.The $3.26 billion mission is a joint project by the US space agency, European space agency and Italian space agency.Cassini is the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, and it has been circling the planet since 2004.It is making a series of flybys of Enceladus, including a final pass in December.

Tennis: Nadal hits back to avoid another Rosol upset

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BASEL (AFP) - Rafael Nadal rallied from the depths to narrowly prevent a repeat of one his his worst career losses as he beat Lukas Rosol 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) at the Swiss Indoors on Monday.Three years ago, the then number 69 journeyman famously upset world number two Nadal in the 2012 Wimbledon second round. This time, Nadal had to make numerous recoveries, the last from 4-2 down in the final-set tiebreaker, before finally prevailing.I thought I was out of here, said Nadal after his narrow first-round escape.It was the first match on indoor hardcourt for me in almost a year.Hes tough to play, he came to the court with big confidence. He was trying to hit the ball hard on every shot.I had a tough time adjusting. I just tried to survive the second set and wait for my opportiunities. Im very happy to have survived and still be playing.World number seven Nadal escaped a repeat disappointment after losing in the first round here 12 years ago to countryman Feliciano Lopez. He made a dismal start as he lost the opening set in just 23 minutes.The third seed, whose game looked a shambles through much of the first two sets, finally came to life in the nick of time, breaking Rosol with the Czech leading 5-4 and serving for the match.Nadal, whose first forehand winner only came in the first game of the second set, found a backhand winner down the line to break for 5-5.The former world number one and 14-time Grand Slam winner then seized the momentum with a break in the final game on a third match point as his nervous opponent double-faulted.Nadal found his form, breaking Rosol for 2-0 and saving a pair of break points for a 3-0 lead.But he lost the momentum and the set went into a tiebreaker, which the Czech led 4-2. Nadal slowly reeled in the potential spoiler, claiming a match point at 5-4 and finishing it off seconds later.I was only thinking about trying to find a way to win the next point, Nadal said, adding that he has come back a lot of times in tough situations, but this year has been different.Ive lost matches that I was winning. But the last few weeks have helped for building the confidence. And the crowd support was very important for me. Nadal has already qualified for the eight-man World Tour Finals next month, but was carrying solid momentum from a Beijing final and Shanghai semi-final into the European indoors swing which ends next week at Paris Bercy.Since his Wimbledon loss, Nadal had beaten Rosoal twice in 2014 -- including a revenge win in July at Wimbledon in the second round.Defending champion Roger Federer, who is chasing a seventh title in his homeland, has reached 11 finals in Basel and has a record of 56-9. He opens his bid for more home success on Tuesday when he faces Kazakh outsider Mikhail Kukushkin while compatriot and second seed Stan Wawrinka is also in the field and plays Croatian big-server Ivo Karlovic. In the first round on a quiet opening day, Adrian Mannarino beat Serb Viktor Troicki 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) while Dominic Thiem of Austria put out Dutch qualifier Robin Haase 0-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5.Swiss wild card Henri Laaksonen lost in the Basel first round for the third time without a win, going down to American Donald Young 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Tennis: Muguruza overpowers Safarova in Singapore

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Garbine Muguruza hammered out her WTA Finals threat in no uncertain terms on Monday as she celebrated her rise to world number three with a straight-sets dismissal of Lucie Safarova.The imposing Spaniard, playing her debut match at the season finale, quickly shook off her nerves to win 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) and extend a run of form which has taken her to two straight finals.In Mondays other White Group round-robin match, Germanys Angelique Kerber beat ailing 2011 champion Petra Kvitova 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) as she also made a winning start in Singapore.Muguruza turned 22 at this months China Open, where she won her second career title, and has soared to a career-high third in the world in the latest rankings released on Monday.And second-seeded Muguruza, the player of the moment on the womens tour, made no bones about her ambitions to rise further to world number one -- and stay there.I dont know how far I can get in the ranking, but definitely Im trying to, you know, be there, top, and not only to arrive, to try to stay there, she said.I always had it in my mind that I could be up there... step by step Im trying to be there, Muguruza added.The result was also sweet revenge for Muguruza, after she lost to Safarova in this years French Open quarter-finals, before going on to finish runner-up at Wimbledon.Muguruza scored two breaks in the first set and recovered from an early break of her own service in the second to get it back on serve at 3-3.Ninth-ranked Safarova, 28, fought off four break points to make it 4-4 before the set went to a tie-break -- which Muguruza won handily to wrap it up in just under two hours.Both were Grand Slam runners-up this year to Serena Williams: Muguruza at Wimbledon and Safarova at Roland Garros, where she beat the Spaniard in straight sets in the last eight.In Roland Garros she played an amazing match. I think today I played a very good match also, Muguruza said.I just wanted so much to win. I was fighting and you know, just very concentrated, she added.Safarova said Muguruzas superior serving made the difference, as well as an injection of confidence after hitting her purple patch of form.She was serving very well and pressuring me. Was going for her shots. I think the difference (was) maybe a lot in self-confidence, said the Czech. Even in those key moments she remained very strong.In the later match at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Kerber, 27, won a battle of the lefties with Safarovas Czech compatriot Kvitova, 25.Kerber rolled over a distracted-looking Kvitova, the world number five who has struggled this year with glandular fever, to win the first set 6-2.The Czech regrouped and used deft net play to put up a strong challenge in the second set, with both scoring three breaks each in furious cross-court exchanges to reach 6-6.But world number seven Kerber easily prevailed 7/3 in the tie break.I feel weird, Kvitova admitted afterwards, referring to the lingering effects of her illness. Its really tough to describe... I mean, its just something what I really cant do anything against.

Tennis: Li backs Pennetta over 'great' retirement choice

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Chinese icon Li Na on Monday said Flavia Pennetta had made a great choice by going out on top after she announced her retirement in the moments following her US Open victory.Li quit last September when she was the reigning Australian Open champion, and she said she well understood the decision of her fellow 33-year-old to say goodbye to her career.Two-time Grand Slam champion Li, who became a mother this year, spoke with Pennetta at the WTA Finals in Singapore and she said the Italian wasnt wavering about retiring.I was just asking her, (Did) you change your mind? She was like, No. Never. Done. I was like, yeah, I understand, we are (the) same age. I know how tough (life is) on the tour, like over 10 years, Li told reporters in Singapore.You know, tennis is a job. Its part of life. You have to find the... real life or family. For this age, I think she will (be) doing (a) great choice, she added.Last month, Pennetta stunned the crowd in New York when she announced her retirement immediately after beating fellow Italian Roberta Vinci to win her first major title.Pennettas retirement could still be interrupted by next years Olympics, when she has admitted she may be tempted to make a brief comeback.Pennetta lost her WTA Finals opener 6-0, 6-3 to Simona Halep and Li said debutante Garbine Muguruza, who beat Lucie Safarova 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), was one player who had impressed her this year.I think because she plays more aggressive and is young and talented, said Li of the imposing Spaniard.

Football: UEFA's Infantino to stand for FIFA presidency

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PARIS (AFP) - UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino is to stand for the presidency of FIFA after receiving the backing of the Executive Committee of European footballs governing body on Monday.We are delighted that Gianni has agreed to stand, said UEFA in a statement.Gianni has done a great job at UEFA, has a proven track record as a top class administrator and built positive relations with football stakeholders around the globe, the statement continued.He has been a long-time advocate of the need for change and renewed development at FIFA and would bring a refreshing and informed voice to the top table of footballs world governing body.Candidates to run in the election set for February 26 must officially submit their bids by midnight on Monday, and UEFAs statement added: (Infantino) is in the process of submitting the required nominations and will issue a statement on his candidacy later today.UEFA did not clarify what the Swiss-born Infantinos candidacy means for Michel Platini, the UEFA president who is also running for the FIFA leadership but is currently serving a 90-day ban from all football-related activities.Infantino would become the seventh person to declare for next years presidential election as erstwhile favourite Platini remains a contender pending an examination of his candidacy when his ban ends on January 5.The 49-year-old Bahraini royal Shaikh Salman, the head of the Asian Football Confederation since 2013, has also came forward, with the Bahrain News Agency saying he registered his bid on Sunday.Another heavyweight candidate to enter the running is Tokyo Sexwale, the 62-year-old South African anti-apartheid campaigner who was once jailed alongside Nelson Mandela on Robben Island on terrorism charges.Jordanian Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, the 39-year-old brother of Jordans King Abdullah, was the only adversary to Blatter at the election in May this year and can boast that he took the veteran Swiss to a second round of voting before withdrawing.But on that occasion he had the backing of UEFA, something he is unlikely to get this time following his criticism of Platini as being too closely connected to a flawed system.French former diplomat Jerome Champagne, 57, spent 11 years working for FIFA between 1999 and 2010. Unlike his previous bid in May, he has managed to get the five signatures from national associations needed to enter the race.But he appears to lack the necessary clout, a problem also faced by David Nakhid, the former Trinidad and Tobago captain who once played for Swiss side Grasshoppers Zurich.

Athletics: Kenyan duo to defend New York marathon titles

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NAIROBI (AFP) - Kenyans Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany will return to New York on Sunday to defend their marathon titles, hoping victory will help secure them places in the 2016 Rio Olympics.Former Olympic bronze medallist Kipsang, 33, will be competing in his first marathon since he was forced to retire with exhaustion in the world athletics championships in Beijing.My training has been going on very well, and I hope to run a good race in New York, Kipsang told AFP before his departure for the US.I hope the weather will be more favourable than in Beijing, where the conditions were too hot and humid for my liking. I like running in New York City...I think the roads suit me very well.Former world record holder Kipsang is a favourite to win the mens race.But Keitany faces the biggest challenge to retain her crown against a strong field that includes the London marathon reigning champion, Tigist Tufa, who beat her into second place in the British capital last April.However, 33-year-old Keitany arrives in New York fresh from her successful defence of the womens Great North Run in the English city of Newcastle, where she clocked a time of one hour, seven minutes and 32 seconds in September. I know the race in New York will be very competitive but I will go there to do my best to retain my title, said Keitany.I hope I will not make the same mistake -- to break away early, which I tried in 2011 and paid the price at the end. The solution is to stick with the leading pack to the end.Others who will be expected to challenge her for the title are fellow Kenyans Helah Kiprop, a silver medal winner in Beijing, the reigning Boston champion Caroline Rotich and former World and Olympic silver medallist Sally Kipyego.The 29-year-old Kipyego, who has been training in Kenya for the event since June, expects a tough start to her marathon career.I am very excited and thrilled -- it is a great opportunity to have a test and see how the experience turns out, she told AFP before travelling to New York at the weekend.Its rather scary for me to be going into an unknown territory, but I am lucky to have twice been able to ride in the lead car during the New York marathon, and being in a close quarters to watch Mary Keitany in competition.I have also had a great opportunity to race the New York half marathon in 2014, so the course will not be all that strange for me, Kipyego added.I hope those experiences will favour my entry into big time marathon on Sunday.For the debutant Kipyego, a top-five finish would almost make her a contender for a place in the womens marathon team for the Rio Olympics.The objective is to run a good race, with the main target being the Olympics in Rio next year, added Kipyego, who regularly trains and lives in Eugene in the US state of Oregon.Kenya is expected to hold its Rio Olympic trials in Nairobi in February, where the top three men and women will be selected for the team.

Argentina presidential hopefuls ready for tough runoff

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BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - The chosen successor of Argentinas Kirchner dynasty, Daniel Scioli, readied Monday for a tough fight with conservative rival Mauricio Macri as election results showed the pair heading neck-and-neck into the countrys first-ever presidential runoff.Scioli entered Sundays first-round vote with a comfortable lead in the opinion polls, but in a blow to outgoing President Cristina Kirchner, he emerged just barely ahead of Macri -- 36.9 percent to 34.3 percent, with nearly all polling stations reporting.The surprise result gives momentum to Macri, the business worlds choice to take over Argentinas flagging economy, and he lost no time seeking to capitalize on it as the battle for the November 22 run-off began.This is the start of a new era, the 56-year-old Buenos Aires mayor told a press conference, saying he was surprised and excited by the results.Scioli fired back that Argentines do not want a change to the past.Today, I have more faith than ever that Argentines are going to back me, he said, seeking to cheer his disappointed supporters, some of whom left his campaign headquarters in tears Sunday night.The race turns the page on 12 years under Kirchner and her late husband Nestor, at a time when the spectacular economic turnaround they presided over is sputtering.Nestor Kirchner came to office in 2003 in the aftermath of a devastating economic crisis that triggered what was then the largest sovereign debt default in history.He presided over average economic growth of more than eight percent a year, before handing power to his wife in 2007.But the economic magic of the early Kirchner years has faded.The next president will inherit an economy troubled by double-digit inflation, an overvalued currency and what the International Monetary Fund predicts will be a 0.7 percent contraction next year.Divisive legacyScioli, the governor of Buenos Aires province, has pledged to uphold the core of kirchnerism -- a movement marked by trade protectionism, social welfare and defense of the working class.However, the 58-year-old powerboating fanatic -- who lost his right arm in a 1989 racing accident -- has also promised a change in style to attract more investment and revive the economy, Latin Americas third-largest after Brazil and Mexico.Macri for his part has vowed to start dismantling the Kirchners legacy on day one.Political analysts said his strong showing gave a major boost to calls for change.Even though it lost by the numbers, Lets Change (Macris coalition) was really the winner. This could trigger a wave of votes in Macris favor, said sociologist Ricardo Rouvier, who heads a local consulting firm.Political analyst Rosendo Fraga said the big winner is the candidate who came in second.Kingmaker?To win outright in Argentina, a candidate must claim more than 45 percent of the vote, or at least 40 percent with a margin of 10 percentage points over the runner-up.Opinion polls had put Scioli close to the magic numbers, with around 40 percent -- about eight points clear of Macri.But he fell well shy of that on voting day.Former Kirchner ally Sergio Massa, who broke with the president and launched a rival party two years ago, threw a wrench into the race: he came in third with 21.3 percent.The top two candidates immediately began chasing his votes.Massa said he would responsibly draft a document with advice for his supporters.Tough night for kirchnerismIt was a tough night for kirchnerism at the ballot box.The presidents cabinet chief, Anibal Fernandez, lost the race for the powerful post of Buenos Aires governor -- Sciolis current job -- to Maria Eugenia Vidal, the candidate of Macris Lets Change coalition.The Kirchner family did, however, rack up victories in its southern stronghold of Santa Cruz, where the presidents son Maximo, 38, was elected to Congress and her sister-in-law Alicia, 69, won the governorship.Kirchner, 62, has served the constitutional limit of two consecutive terms -- though some supporters have touted a possible come-back in 2019.The former senator, who is known for her combative style, was widowed when Nestor died of a heart attack in 2010.

Oil prices extend losses as oversupply weighs

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Crude prices extended last weeks losses on Monday as the International Energy Agency warned of a further fall in oil investment.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in December fell 62 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $43.98 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Brent North Sea crude for December delivery closed at $47.54 in London, down 45 cents (0.9 percent) from Fridays settlement.Last Friday, oil prices stretched losses into a second week, with WTI down $2.02 for the week and Brent shedding $1.94.IEA executive director Fatih Birol said Monday that ample oil supplies likely would extend into the middle of next year, while investment is expected to decline further because of persistently low prices.He told an energy conference in Singapore that oil investment is already down 20 percent worldwide this year and another drop is likely in 2016.That would mark the first time oil investment has declined for two years in a row since the mid-1990s.Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch said that Brent has been trading around $48 for the past eight weeks, apart from a brief surge in early October.Things are unlikely to be any different this week either, for the fundamental situation remains unchanged: the market is significantly oversupplied at the moment, as overflowing stocks of crude oil and products -- above all in the United States -- confirm time and time again, he said.
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